Ambrose BierceAuthor of The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

By Damasio Velasquez

Quick Facts

• Full Name: Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce

• Born: June 24, 1842

• Birthplace: Meigs County, Ohio

• Writing Genre: Satire

• Had a wife and three children

• Fought in the American Civil War

• Believed to had died in Mexico after the start of the Mexican Revolution (1914)

Military Career (American Civil War)

• Enlisted in the Union Army’s 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment (1861)• Mapped battlefields as a

topographical engineer• Fought in the Battle of Shiloh

(1862)• Discharged in January 1865• Participated in an expedition to

inspect military outposts from Omaha, Nebraska to San Francisco, California

Journalism

• Bierce became a large contributor to newspapers in San Francisco• Did extensive work with the San Francisco Examiner• Was one of the most influential journalists in California• Was recognized by newspapers all over the world

Mexican Revolution

• In 1913, Bierce followed Pancho Villa and his army through Mexico the revolution• His last known whereabouts were in the

CIty of Chihuahua • Some claim that he was executed in

Mexico or committed suicide• The exact details of his death remains a

mystery

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

• One of Bierce’s most famous short stories• Originally published by the San Francisco

Examiner• Set during the American Civil War• Made famous for its surprise ending and

captivating plot

Critics on “An Occurrence at Owl Bridge”

• “.. gimmicky, contrived ending and manipulation of readers’ expectations”.- Sparknotes • “This first thing I did, upon reading Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence

at Owl Creek Bridge” was to double-check the publication date. That’s right, 1890. The story feels so modern—had it been published in 1990, I would not have been surprised. And that’s largely because of the “quick-cut” of Bierce’s flip.”- Noah Charney

Personal Interpretation

• Amusing that Bierce make Farquhar seem like the innocent victim, and making the Union seem evil• Interesting on differing moments of realization of the execution

between the story and the film• Seems that Farquhar is tricked into sabotaging the bridge by the

Federal Scout• Farquhar found a certain kind of peace in imagining his reunion with

his wife

Background Influences

• Due to his extensive experience with the Civil War, it inspired many of his works to have a Civil War setting• He was shot by a Confederate soldier and forced to resign from the

military• Has traveled to San Francisco, Washington D.C., London• Wife and two sons died before him• He has witnessed corruption in governments and newspaper

companies

Theme: Reality vs Illusion

• Imagining his escape becomes the reader’s reality• His mind creates the whole journey of escaping the hanging,

swimming away, and embracing his wife• His gray world masks the true identity of those responsible for his

death• Our illusions can end within a blink of an eye• No matter what illusion we create ourselves, we can not escape

reality

Owl Creek Bridge

• Considered important for the Union army in order to enter enemy territory• Despite Farquhar’s plan to destroy the bridge, he fails and it becomes

the site of his execution• The bridge is a passage for both life and death for Farquhar• The bridge then becomes a passage between reality and illusion once

Farquhar imagines his escape• It continues to stand despite the conflicts surrounding it

Notable Passages

• He was now in full possession of his physical senses. They were, indeed, preternaturally keen and alert• An hour later, after nightfall, he repassed the plantation, going

northward in the direction from which he had come. He was a Federal scout.• As he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of

the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of a cannon—then all is darkness and silence!

Story vs. Film

• Fast-paced in Farquhar’s illusion all the way to his death• Much more dialogue from

dialogue from Farquhar and other characters• Imagery within his illusion shows

the evilness that surrounds him• Describes how Farquhar first

thought of sabotaging Owl Creek Bridge

• Attention to Farquhar’s setting much more in detail• Repetition in motion when

Farquhar sees his wife• No dialogue from Farquhar at all• Clues placed in the film that

indicate that something more sinister is at hand

Quotes

• “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.”• “Education, n.: That which discloses to the wise and disguises from

the foolish their lack of understanding”• “War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.”

Other Notable Works

• "An Inhabitant of Carcosa"• "Chickamauga"• "The Damned Thing"• The Devil's Dictionary• “Beyond the Wall” • “A Diagnosis of Death”• “A Jug of Sirup”

Sources

donswaim.comwww.online-literature.com/bierce/www.ambrosebierce.orgwww.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/ambrosebie104027.htmlhttp://www.newhavenreview.com/index.php/2013/07/short-story-playlist-1-an-occurrence-at-owl-creek-bridge/